Increased frequency of cataract surgery in patients over age 50 with pituitary macroadenomas and chiasmal compression.

BACKGROUND: Patients with visual loss from macroadenomas compressing their optic apparatus may also have concomitant age-related visual pathology such as cataracts. How these two pathologies interact with each other is not well documented. OBJECTIVE: The interaction between these two pathologies in elderly patients is the subject of this study. METHODS: We identified a series of non-functioning macroadenoma patients over age 50 years with tumors compressing the chiasm who underwent transsphenoidal surgery at our institution between 2004 and 2018. Pre- and post-operative visual complaints, tumor size and extent of resection were analyzed. Prevalence of the diagnosis of cataract and prevalence of cataract surgery in each decade were compared with national averages. RESULTS: We identified 200 patients who met selection criteria. 18% of these patients had a diagnosis of cataract and 12.5% had cataract surgery. Compared with the Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group (EDPRG) study, the prevalence of cataract surgery was 2.5 times the national average of 5.1%. 32% of these patients had no improvement in their vision after cataract surgery but 76% improved after transsphenoidal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a high prevalence of cataract surgery in patients over age 50 in patients with pituitary macroadenomas compressing the optic pathway compared with national averages in patients without adenomas. While visual loss from adenoma likely precipitated more cataract surgeries in this group of patients, some who may not have required it, those patients with cataracts who did not have their cataracts extracted were less likely to recover vision after transsphenoidal surgery. Addressing both pathologies is beneficial.

Endonasal surgery for suprasellar germ cell tumors: two cases and review of the literature.

Germ cell tumors are rare malignant tumors frequently located in the suprasellar region. Definitive treatment is chemotherapy and radiation. However, in some circumstances, surgery is indicated for biopsy or resection. There are limited reports of the role of the endonasal endoscopic approach (EEA) in the management of this tumor. We present two cases in which EEA was utilized for successful management of germ cell tumor. The most challenging aspect of germ cell tumor management for the treating physician is knowing the proper indications for surgery. In this paper, we highlight two specific instances, namely diagnosis and tumor refractory to chemoradiation. Given the suprasellar location, EEA is an ideal approach.

Posterior migration of lumbar disc herniation: A case report.

Posterior epidural migration of herniated lumbar disc fragments is a rare pathological entity. This can lead to major neurological deficits. Here, we present a rare case of sequestrated lumbar disc fragment migration into the epidural space. A 49-year-old-man presented with severe low back pain and weakness of the long extensor muscle of the hallux. MRI of the lumbar spine revealed posterior epidural lesion at the L4-L5 level. The disc fragment was isointense on T1 and T2-weighted Images (WI). The mass lesion was removed after decompressive laminectomy. Pathological investigation revealed an intervertebral disc fragment. The patient's condition improved postoperatively.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma of the occipital bone: A case report and review of the literature.

Background: Primary Ewing's sarcoma (ES) arising from cranial bones is an extremely rare entity that accounts for only 1-4% of all ES cases. Case Description: A 21-year-old woman presented with ES of the skull affecting the occipital region. The patient underwent surgical excision following radiotherapy and chemotherapy. No recurrence or metastasis occurred over a 10-month follow-up. Conclusion: ES reaches adolescents. The mainstay of treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor, followed by radio- and chemotherapy.

Surgical outcome and prognostic factors for 39 recurrent spinal hydatid cysts.

Background: Cystic bone echinococcosis accounts for 0.5-4% of all reported cases, and 45% occur in the spine. Our aim was to review the clinical and radiological features, surgery, and outcomes for 39 patients with recurrent spinal hydatidosis. Methods: Thirty-nine reports of patients with recurrent spinal hydatidosis (2011-2020) were followed for an average of 9.28 ± 5.60 months. Results: Lesions occurred in descending order in the; lumbar (48.7%), thoracic (43.6%), and cervical spine (7.7%). Total cyst resection was achieved in 28 of 39 patients (71.8%). Intraoperative cyst rupture occurred in 13 patients (33.3%). The postoperative American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) score was "good" in 82% of patients. Those with "poor" postoperative ASIA scores had a 41% incidence of recurrent thoracic hydatid cysts; further, they demonstrated significantly higher recurrence rates if cysts had ruptured intraoperatively (P = 0.001). In addition, laminectomy, subtotal original cyst resection (P < 0.007), and a thoracic location were all significantly associated with higher recurrence rates (P < 0.04). Conclusion: The majority of patients demonstrated improvement following surgery for cervical hydatid cysts. Notably, those with poor outcomes typically experienced intraoperative ruptures of their thoracic hydatid cysts, contributing to high cyst recurrence rates.

Primary lymphoma of the cranial vault: case report and a systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Bone involvement is a common finding in many types of lymphoma. Cranial vault involvement is extremely rare, and the majority of patients are found at staging to have concurrent disease in lymph nodes. Thirty-eight cases of primary lymphoma of the cranial vault have been reported to date. METHODS: This article presents a rare case of primary cranial vault lymphoma and conducts a systematic review of the current literature. A total of 36 articles comprising 38 cases were included for analysis. The relevant demographic, clinical, and imaging characteristics, as well as the treatment and outcomes of this unique disease presentation were studied. RESULTS: The average patient age was 60 years. There was no significant difference in patient gender. The predominant patient complaint was a subcutaneous scalp mass. Of the patients, 11.7% were immunocompromised. CT scans showed signs of osteolysis in 74% of lesions and hyperostosis in 5%, and the cranial vault was observed as normal in 18% of cases. MRI was performed in 23 cases. There was a wide range of histological subtypes, with a slight predominance of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Treatment consisted of surgery alone, surgery followed by radiotherapy, and surgery followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The follow-up periods ranged from 5 months to 6 years, with a median value of 7 months. Sixteen patients were followed up to 12 months; 13 of them were alive at 1 year from diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Primary cranial vault lymphoma is an extremely rare finding. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of scalp masses. Although the analysis of outcome of the reported cases is difficult because of the small number of occurrences of this entity and the variability of follow-up, a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy seems to offer better outcomes.

Arachnoiditis ossificans of the cauda equina.

A case of post-traumatic arachnoiditis ossificans of the cauda equina is reported. The lesion is a rare pathological entity usually confined to the thoracic and high lumbar regions that can cause progressive spinal cord and cauda equine compression. The pathophysiology and therapeutic strategy of this rare entity are still controversial.

Management and positive outcome of skull-base ossifying fibroma: a case report.

The ossifying fibroma is a benign fibro-osseous tumor rarely affecting the skull base. The incidence of ossifying fibroma itself is uncommon. It is considered to be an aggressive and fast-growing bone lesion. Early detection and complete surgical removal are essential to deal with its aggressive nature and recurrence. We report a case of a 20-year-old man admitted for the management of ossifying fibroma of the orbital roof extending inside the orbit mimicking meningioma and revealed by a progressive proptosis and headache. The patient underwent surgery for the subtotal removal of the tumor with its frontal infiltration with a good outcome. All meningiomas like tumors are not meningiomas and other tumors such as ossifying fibroma might be mistaken for meningioma and even get confirmation from the pathological anatomy study. Need be for these tumors to be looked at more closely for better therapeutic decision-making.

Multiple lytic lesions of the spine: a rare diagnosis of eosinophilic granuloma in an adult: a case report.

Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) is a rare benign osteolytic lesion observed rarely in adults, with only some 18 cases of spinal location reported in the literature. We present an unusual variant of EG in a 23-year-old man with radiological features of multiple spinal lytic lesions which was evocated of metastatic processes. A surgically transpedicular biopsy of the thoracic collapsed vertebrae with posterior stabilization was made. Histological examination of the tissue showed features of eosinophilic granuloma. The clinical and radiological findings of EG present dilemmas of both diagnosis and treatment. The etiology is unclear and the therapeutic approach is still controversial.

Dynamic CT scan of the craniovertebral junction: a role in the management of os odontoideum.

Os odontoideum is an uncommon abnormality of the cranio-vertebral junction (CVJ) that exists as a separate ossicle apart from a hypoplastic dens. Its genesis and natural history have been debated, and its proper treatment remains uncertain. A 48-year-old woman complained of persistent upper neck pain and paraesthesia of her left side. Magnetic resonance imaging of the CVJ demonstrated an os odontoideum. Dynamic computed tomography scan of the CVJ showed a reduction of the space available for the spinal cord to 50% from extended to flexed position. The patient underwent posterior spinal fusion of C1-C2 using a sublaminar titanium hook and rods fixed in moderate extension. We discuss the usefulness of the dynamic computed tomography (CT) scan in the evaluation of atlantoaxial motion and the management of this pathology.

Variation of Ventricular Size after Surgical Treatment of Chronic Subdural Hematoma.

BACKGROUND: Surgical removal is the treatment of choice for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Despite clinical improvement after surgery, computed tomography (CT) scan control often showed residual collection, which may discuss the possibility of failed surgery. The aim of this study is the assessment of ventricular size before and after surgery and to study its relation with residual hematoma. METHODS: In this prospective study (2013-2016), 63 patients who had burr-hole drainage of CSDH were sequentially allocated to either two groups; Group 1 with CT scan control under the 3rd day of surgery and Group 2 with delayed CT scan control (from 4th to 7th day). Linear measure of ventricular size was assessed by Evans' index. We reviewed and analyzed the data between both groups. RESULTS: There were 33 patients in Group 1 and 30 patients in Group 2. Preoperatively, the average thickness of hematoma was 20.5 mm in Group 1 versus 19.9 mm in Group 2 (P = 0.67); the mean midline shift was 8.5 mm in each group; Evans' index was 26.7% in Group 1 and 27% in Group 2 (P = 0.7). Postoperatively, the mean thickness of the residual hematoma was 7.7 mm in Group 1 and 8.4 mm in Group 2 (P = 0.57); the mean midline shift was 3.3 mm in Group 1 and 1.9 mm in Group 2 (P = 0.08); Evan's index was 28.5% in Group 1 and 32.1% in Group 2 (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The adoption of Evans' index, for assessing the variation of ventricular size after surgery, by neurosurgeons appears to be a good and simple method for evaluation and following the success of surgical removal of CSDH, despite the observation of some residual collection in early CT scan control.

Prognosis Factor in Oculomotor Schwannoma: A Case of Endoscopic Endonasal Approach and Systematic Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: We report the first case of oculomotor nerve (ON) schwannoma treatment through an endonasal endoscopic approach. We also review the literature to determine prognosis factors of ON function after treatment. METHODS: A complete MEDLINE search was undertaken for all articles reporting data for oculomotor schwannoma. We divided the patient population into 2 groups; Group I: patients who conserved or recovered good ON function and Group II: patients with either new, worsening, or unchanged third-nerve palsy at the last available follow-up. We conducted a comparative statistical analysis of data between the 2 groups. RESULTS: We identified 55 reported cases of ON schwannoma, all of whom were treated with open transcranial surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, or observation. There were 22 patients in group I and 33 in group II. At admission, 29 patients had complete oculomotor nerve palsy (34.7% in group I and 67.7% in group II; P = 0.02). Surgical treatment was performed in 36 cases. Radiosurgery was performed in 3 cases. Among patients with good preoperative ON function, 34.6% worsened at last follow-up (26.6% after surgery and 50% with observation; P = 0.03). In total, 31% of patients with total or near-total palsy at admission had an improvement of their ON function (all after surgical resection; P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ON function at admission and surgical resection of schwannoma appears to be a predictive factor of favorable prognosis regardless of location and tumor size. The endonasal endoscopic approach can be used to biopsy tumors in cases in which open surgery is considered too risky, such as cavernous sinus schwannomas.

Posterior epidural migration of lumbar disk fragments: report of two cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Posterior epidural migration of an extruded disk fragment is rare, and posterior migration of the free fragments causing cauda equina syndrome is exceptionally rare. The disk fragment must transgress through numerous anatomical restraints including the nerve roots in such cases. METHODS: Two cases of migration of the sequestrated disk into the posterior epidural space are presented. The first patient complained, over the course of 1 month, of paresthesias and weakness of the lower limbs, with urinary retention. However, in the other case, there was steppage gait and strength score of 3/5 on dorsiflexion of left foot, without bladder or bowel disturbance. RESULTS: Lumbar CT scan with sagittal reconstruction showed a posterior epidural mass, which was isodense to the disk. The preoperative differential diagnosis included epidural abscess, hematoma, and neoplasm. An urgent decompressive lumbar laminectomy was performed. At surgery, the lesion proved to be a massive extruded disk fragment. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of posterior epidural migration of the sequestrated disks may be difficult. It may present with subtle clinical features. Magnetic resonance images may mimic those of other more common posterior epidural lesions. Early surgery should be the first choice to prevent severe neurologic deficits.

Acute spinal cord compression caused by atypical vertebral hemangioma.

Vertebral hemangioma is common, benign lesion that occurs mostly in the body of vertebral bones and is mostly asymptomatic although they may occasionally extend into the posterior elements. An isolated location in the neural arch of vertebrae is extremely rare. An acute spinal cord compression by an exceptional hemangioma involving spinous process of the seventh thoracic vertebra and respecting vertebral body in a 40-year-old woman is reported. On magnetic resonance imaging of the spine, the lesion was hypointense on T1-weighted image, hyperintense on T2-weited image, and enhancing avidly, causing compression of spinal cord. Our case is exceptional by the rapidly character of symptom installation and by atypical and elective involvement of spinous process.

Diagnosis and management challenge of a granular cell astrocytoma of the pineal region: case report.

Granular cell astrocytoma (GCA) is a rare type of infiltrative brain tumor with most reported cases occurring in the suprasellar region. A pineal localization is extremely rare, with only 4 previously reported cases in the literature. The authors describe the case of a 16-year-old boy who developed signs of increased intracranial pressure and Parinaud syndrome. Cranial CT and MRI revealed a well-demarcated and enhanced mass in the pineal region accompanied by obstructive hydrocephalus. Subtotal resection was performed via a subtemporal approach. A histological diagnosis of GCA was made. Three years after surgery, the patient was alive and well without adjuvant therapy, and serial MRI showed no signs of progression of a small residual tumor. After a thorough review of the different epidemiological, clinical, and imaging features; treatments; and prognoses of GCAs in other intracranial localizations, the authors analyzed features of this tumor in the pineal region.

Factors influencing the prognosis in intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas with perimedullary drainage.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas with perimedullary venous drainage (IDAVFPD) are classified as type V dural arteriovenous fistulas. Publications are limited to single case reports and small case series. We conducted a systematic review of the literature for patients with IDAVFPD. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors of poor prognosis in patients with IDAVFPD. METHODS: We present the case of a 48-year-old man who underwent surgical interruption of IDAVFPD. A complete MEDLINE search was then undertaken for all articles reporting outcomes data for IDAVFPD. According to the results we have divided the patient population into two groups: I, those patients who showed improvement after treatment, and II: those patients who did not show improvement. We conducted a comparative statistical analysis of the epidemiologic, clinical, radiologic, and therapeutic parameters between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 37 articles comprising with 58 cases were included for analysis with an average follow-up of 12 months. There were 36 patients in group I and 22 in group II. The average age was 57.8 years in group I and 54.3 years in group II (P=0.32). Onset of symptoms was acute or subacute in 57% of patients in group I, and in 50% of patients in group II (P=0.62). Bulbar signs were present in 28% of cases in group I and in 36% of cases in group II (P=0.49). Hyperintensity of the brainstem on T2-weighted sequence magnetic resonance imaging was more common in patients in group II (78%) compared with patients in group I (45%) (P=0.012). Patients who underwent surgical procedure have shown good outcomes compared to patients treated with endovascular approach (P=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The poor outcomes were correlated to the presence of brainstem signal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging, whereas the prognosis does not depend on age, sex, clinical presentation, or anatomic characteristics of the fistula.